LISTENING

SHORT DIALOGUES LONG CONVERSATIONS LONG TALKS

1. Focus on the last line 18. anticipate the topics 23. Anticipate the topics
strategies

2. Choose answer with 19. Anticipate the 24. anticipate the

synonyms questions questions
3. Avoid similar sounds
4. Draw conclusions about

Before listening

Before listening
who, what, where
Who, What,

5. Listen for who and what in

passives
where

6. Listen for who and what

with multiple nouns
7. Listen for negative 20. determine the topic 25. Determine the topic
expressions 21. draw conclusions 26. Draw conlcusion
8. Listen for double negative about who, what, about who, what,

While listening
While listening

expressions when, where when, where

9. Listen for “almost 22. listen for answers in 27. Listen for answers in
Negatives

negative” expresions order order

10. Listen for negatives with
comparatives
11. Listen for expressions of
agreement
12. Listen for expressions of
functions

uncertainty and suggestion

13. Listen for emphatic
expressions of surprise
14. Listen for wishes
meanings
Contrary

15. Listen for untrue

conditions

16. Listen for two-and three-

Idiomatic
language

part verbs
17. Listens for idioms

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Short Dialogues

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 In the dialogue, when the woman say I’ll say, she is showing that she agrees with what
the man just said. Answer (C) is therefore the best answer to this question.

Procedures for the Short Dialogues

1. As you listen to each short dialogue, focus on the second line of the
conversation.
2. Always remember that the correct answer is probably a restatement of a key
word or idea in the second line of the dialogue.
3. Always remember that certain structures and expressions are tested regularly in
the short dialogues.
a. Structures: passives, negatives, wishes, conditions
b. Functional expressions: agreement, uncertainty, suggestion, surprise
c. Idiomatic expression: two-part verbs, three-part verbs, idioms.
4. Always remember that these questions are generally from the easy to the
difficult ones.
5. Read the answer and choose the best answer to each question.
6. Even if you do not understand the complete dialogue, you can still find the
correct answer.
 If you only understand a few words or ideas in the second line, choose the
answer that contains a restatement of those words or ideas.
 If you do not understand anything at all in the second line of the
conversation, choose the answer that sounds the most different from what
you heard.
 Never choose an answer because it sounds like what you heart in the
dialogue
7. Be prepared for the next question. (12 seconds between questions)

STRATEGIES FOR SHORT DIALOGUES

I. Skill 1: Focus on the last line

The short dialogues involve conversations between two people, each followed by
question. It is important to understand that the answer to this type of question is most
often (but not always!) found in the last line of the conversation.

a. The last line of the dialogue probably contains the answer to the question.
b. Listen to the first line of the dialogue. If you understand it, that’s good. If you don’t
understand it, don’t worry because it probably does not contain the answer.

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c. Be ready to focus on the last line of the dialogue because it probably contains the
answer. Repeat the last line in your mind as you read through the answers in the
text.

TOEFL EXERCISE 1 (Sound File: TOEFL Exercise 1 Short Dialogues)

In this exercise, listen carefully to each short dialogue and question on the recording,
and then choose the best answer to the question. You should focus carefully on the last
line.